New Delhi:- Three accused including two government officials, arrested in the corporate espionage case for allegedly possessing “sensitive” documents relating to various ministries, today sought bail in a Delhi court citing grounds of parity.
The three accused said they should be granted relief as most of the persons, who were arrested in a related matter, have already been given bail.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vivek Kumar Gulia after hearing part arguments fixed the case for May 25 for further submissions and order on the bail applications.
“Since the investigating officer as well as prosecutor are not present today, put up the matter for May 25,” the court said.
It also fixed June 24 for hearing arguments on framing of charges.
The court was hearing the bail pleas of three accused– Lokesh Sharma, an employee of a Noida-based consultancy firm, Jitender Nagpal, PS to Joint Secretary in Forest and Environment Ministry, and Vipan Kumar, PA to a UPSC member.
All three accused are in judicial custody.
“Most of the accused who were arrested in the matter in the other FIR have already been given bail (by another court) even though charges against them were more serious,” the counsel appearing for the accused, who had filed the bail applications last month, said.
The court had earlier on May 7 taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed against the accused.
The charge sheet was filed under various sections of the IPC, including 420 (cheating), 380 (theft in building), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
In the charge sheet, police has named 19 persons as witnesses in the case.
The police had arrested Lokesh on February 23, claiming that “sensitive” documents pertaining to ministries of Coal, Power and others were recovered from his possession.
PTI
